Railmatch Paint Spray Cans

[rob D2]

Yeah, I still use some of them, but I hate them. I've tried all above and they still clog up, and I get fed up buying replacement nozzles at 50p a go.

 

Halfords, on the other hand, have never failed me, ever. And they spray ok in wet, cold etc. Much better product as car resprayers I doubt would put up with what we do.

[37114]

Have had a few clog up over the years, warning panel yellow is the worst culprit in my experience. I have painted 30+ items of stock with the aerosols and got good results with them. I do own an airbrush but don't use it due to the time to set up and clean, I also do less resprays and modelling in general these days anyway.

[Graham456]

Yeah, I still use some of them, but I hate them. I've tried all above and they still clog up, and I get fed up buying replacement nozzles at 50p a go.

Halfords, on the other hand, have never failed me, ever. And they spray ok in wet, cold etc. Much better product as car resprayers I doubt would put up with what we do.

Yes in full agreement with theses comments, but I mainly use carplan paints for my bulk sprays because I get them at a trade place and halford are very expensive, sadly though I have I have resorted to the troublesome RM cans because I haven't found a roof dirt coloured cars for example

I was going to say for a quick small job a spray can is quick and lazy way of getting the paint on compaired to getting the compressor out setting up it cleaning up and packing away. But then if it clogs up and the hassle involved perhaps it's not so quick and easy

[orford]

Just so we're clear, I'm laughing at the "hole in the kitchen ceiling comment" , I could just imagine the reaction I'd get if this happened to me

 

Oh- How I wish I'd been there to witness that !!    

[Ross34]

Stopped using 'em years go as sometimes it wasn't the nozzle but the top of the can that bunged up.

 

There is whole host of hobby spray paint available now.  I get a surprising amount from Wilikinsons - great for basic colours (white, black, brown etc)

[oldun]

over here in the USA I have found that "rustolium camouflage" ( it comes in a standard rattle can), is almost the same as rail grime, it is used to paint hunting gear, guns, tree stands, and anything else that will blend in with soil, its a sort of black-brown, put it next to black it looks brown, put it next to brown and it look black, I gave up several years ago with model paints,very expensive over here, so I either use car spray cans, or standard rattle-cans, its far cheaper and never had a problem with the nozzle's,, if one clogs up I bin it and replace it with the ones that I saved from cans that I emptied that did work. I also have a touch-up air gun I use to spray small parts in my shop, so if I need to spray something big, or a particular colour I need to mix up, I just lower the air pressure and the paint volume and it puts a very light coat on really well, but it holds about 6 ounces, and that will cover a lot of area, so not worth using most of the time on models.

Edited October 5, 2017 by oldun

[John M Upton]

I only use Humbrol for general colours (primer, black, etc) and Phoenix for precise railways colours, usually Rail Blue.  The Humbrol I can get virtually anywhere, unfortunately the Phoenix colours I can only really source at shows since the Royal Mail now refuse to carry them and even that is a problem now as Phoenix now no longer attend shows!!!

 

Is there a Humbrol rattle can that matches rail blue by any chance?

[BlackRat]

How this has been going on for the time it has is beyond me.

 

AVOID THEM!

[Gareth Collier]

Resurrecting the thread for no other reason than my total exasperation with Railmatch. They know the clogging problems and have done for years but have made zero effort to address it. Unfortunately there are limited options and I can only get RM locally and have to wait for local exhibitions to get Phoenix. I've 2 brand new spray cans of matt varnish which I've just used. The first one managed approx. 3 seconds before it blocked up and the second less than that. At around £7 a can it's a joke. I'd hate to think how many 3/4 full cans have gone in the bin.

[timbowilts]

Resurrecting the thread for no other reason than my total exasperation with Railmatch. They know the clogging problems and have done for years but have made zero effort to address it. Unfortunately there are limited options and I can only get RM locally and have to wait for local exhibitions to get Phoenix. I've 2 brand new spray cans of matt varnish which I've just used. The first one managed approx. 3 seconds before it blocked up and the second less than that. At around £7 a can it's a joke. I'd hate to think how many 3/4 full cans have gone in the bin.

Phoenix do sell on-line?

 

Tim T

[cravensdmufan]

Resurrecting the thread for no other reason than my total exasperation with Railmatch. They know the clogging problems and have done for years but have made zero effort to address it. Unfortunately there are limited options and I can only get RM locally and have to wait for local exhibitions to get Phoenix. I've 2 brand new spray cans of matt varnish which I've just used. The first one managed approx. 3 seconds before it blocked up and the second less than that. At around £7 a can it's a joke. I'd hate to think how many 3/4 full cans have gone in the bin.

Not good enough.

 

Take them back to the retailer for a refund - goods unfit for purpose.

 

If Railmatch get enough cans back they will wake up and get their act together.  There really is no excuse.

[Gareth Collier]

Phoenix do sell on-line?

 

But not necessarily the colours I want and postage is the cost of a can

 

Not good enough.

 

Take them back to the retailer for a refund - goods unfit for purpose.

 

If Railmatch get enough cans back they will wake up and get their act together.  There really is no excuse.

Trouble is the petrol to take them back is more than the cost of the cans and I don't know when I'm back that way but need the paint nowish.

Will they wake up. Their cans have been next to useless for years. They know, I've told them more than once, but nothing ever changes.

[81C]

I must have been lucky I've only had 2 part full one's that needed throwing away, I always give the can a good shake and the nozzle cleaned through

after use turning it unside down and spraying till all the paint has been removed.

 

I've found lighter fuel is a good cleaning agent for used nozzles prior to spraying. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ronson-Lighter-Fluid-133ml-can/dp/B00298IFN0

[cravensdmufan]

But not necessarily the colours I want and postage is the cost of a can

 

Trouble is the petrol to take them back is more than the cost of the cans and I don't know when I'm back that way but need the paint nowish.

Will they wake up. Their cans have been next to useless for years. They know, I've told them more than once, but nothing ever changes.

I tried using Railmatch cans a few years ago and gave up with them at the time, never managing to use a full can despite shaking well and spraying upside down at the end of a session and cleaning the nozzles etc.

 

I was astonished to read your post that the issue has never been sorted.

 

Anybody out there actually managed to use a full can? 

[Ravenser]

Interesting that quite a few other people have had problems with Railmatch spray cans blocking.  Clearly my intermittent problems with them aren't down to Negative Modelling Force Field/ foolish incompetence on my part as I'd tended to assume

 

By far the worst offenders are matt varnish cans which block very easily. Unfortunately the Precision Paints alternative may be  varnish but it doesn't really do matt

 

Given that my cans get used only occasionally I can't complain too much if eventually they stop working - I'm sure these things have a shelf life , and it must be less than 5 years. But the BR Blue can  does seem to keep going. I store them inverted, shake vigourously for the recommended 2 mins , and try to spray out inverted after use, as recommended

[rob D2]

It’s not by chance that they sell spare nozzles to go with these.

[cctransuk]

 

By far the worst offenders are matt varnish cans which block very easily. Unfortunately the Precision Paints alternative may be  varnish but it doesn't really do matt

 

 

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/acatalog/Testors-Dullcote-Lacquer-Aerosol-90ml-S_TEST1260.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2NHLp5zd2gIVqrvtCh2pkwYZEAQYBCABEgK3IPD_BwE

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[Roger Sunderland]

Appalling paint in appalling cans. I agree vote with your wallet. Also it's a joke to charge 50p for a spare nozzle when the original is clearly not fit for purpose. The only one I use now is sleeper grime, then I try and do all the spraying in one go - even then I've had heads clog up halfway through the can.

Edited April 28, 2018 by Roger Sunderland

[it's-er]

But does anyone know of a suitable Halfords replacement for things like "Track Dirt"?

No one replied to this query - does anyone have an answer now?

 

John Storey

[newbryford]

No one replied to this query - does anyone have an answer now?

 

John Storey

 

Somehow, I don't think anyone would want to deliberately paint their car in a colour that resembles "track dirt"................

 

Although I did see a hideously brown BMW the other day that was it's factory paint finish - and the standard of driving matched the colour. (I know the guy and knowing pre-retirement profession, he should've been a better driver.....)

 

Cheers,

Mick

[newbryford]

But not necessarily the colours I want and postage is the cost of a can

 

 

Is that cost of of postage or cost of a courier?    

[Andrew F]

I tried using Railmatch cans a few years ago and gave up with them at the time, never managing to use a full can despite shaking well and spraying upside down at the end of a session and cleaning the nozzles etc.

 

I was astonished to read your post that the issue has never been sorted.

 

Anybody out there actually managed to use a full can? 

 

 

I can claim to have finished a can but the splattery low pressure at the end just ruins your model. These cans serve as a good reason to move towards airbrushing; controlled paint and airflow save money and don't fill your house/garage/neighbourhood with overspray and a small compressor is no noisier than the can. I've heard folks say that they will only be spraying a couple of models so can't justify the cost of a compressor but if you are a modeller you will definitely end up spraying lots of things and it's far cheaper and better all round to spend some cash on the kit rather than the cans.

[Gareth Collier]

I've heard folks say that they will only be spraying a couple of models so can't justify the cost of a compressor but if you are a modeller you will definitely end up spraying lots of things and it's far cheaper and better all round to spend some cash on the kit rather than the cans.

Trouble is when modelling in N there is very little benefit to using an airbrush. The areas on a loco are so small the effort of setting up the airbrush, mixing paint etc for sometimes a single puff doesn't add up.

[forest2807]

Just to get it off my chest I thought I’d share my experience this morning. I return to these spray paint cans periodically - usually months after the last disappointment when all is forgiven I’ll give them a go. And yet every time I end up cross and frustrated. One aerosol, a spare nozzle to hand, and a Bachmann Class 47 in need of a grey roof. Both nozzles lasted 20 seconds or less until they suddenly just stopped working, cut out, no paint coming through whatsoever.

Why can’t they fix this? Halfords aerosol paints never suffer from this! I know this has all said before, but, GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

[NINJA]

Would never ever use railmatch sprays cans again, initial spray OK, second attempt waste of time, clogging nozzle, low pressure, an expensive mistake.